A Lifetime of Devotion
by Amari Gypsy
Summary: HPCD SLASH Cedric Diggory has always been enamored with Harry Potter. But will it be enough to attract the young hero's attention? Canon until book 4, then AU. Rating for later chapters. Slash Fic!
1. The Zoo

**Title: **A Lifetime of Devotion

**Author: **Megan (Frozenlife)

**Pairings: **Harry/Cedric (Eventually)

**Chapter: **1? This is going to be long.

**Warnings: **none for this chapter

**Rating:** G to begin, but will eventually progress to R or NC-17

**Summary:** Cedric has always idolized Harry Potter, but is that enough to gain the 'Boy-Who-Lived' attention?

**A/N: **I realize that in canon the zoo trip takes place during Harry's school year, but for the purpose of this fic its in the first week of July! Also, this is un-beta'd or brit picked. This is my first fic so I don't know the whole Beta-ing process. But I suppose it anyone wants to help out? I would be thrilled!

Cedric Diggory was the same as every other boy wizard; enamored with Harry Potter. Every child wizard grew up with the knowledge that they were safe at home, that they were safe at night, because of Harry Potter. The romantic story of the baby boy who defeated the greatest wizard of all time shamed Cedric. It made him feel inferior and small. It made him strive in school. Cedric received the best marks, not because of his parents, but because he didn't want to disappoint Harry Potter.

But there was one small problem.

Cedric Diggory had never met Harry Potter.

Cedric Diggory did not even know what Harry Potter looked like, he only knew of the boys infamous lightening bold scar.

But maybe, Cedric sometimes thought, that was why he tried so hard, so that he would be ready when the day finally came. The day that Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory would meet.

Cedric had been three years old that Halloween night when his dad rushed into the house. Cedric had made his mother tell him a ghost story, and because of it he had been sitting up in bed, to scared to sleep, when he had heard his fathers frantic calls of "Sophie! Sophie!" ringing through the house.

Cedric had just crept to the top of the stairs when he heard the news;

"The Potters, Sophie! They're dead!"

"That auror, James? How!"

"You-Know-Who"

"Oh how terrible!" came his mothers anguished reply.

"But thats not all, Sophie, You-Know-Who, he's... he's gone! Vanished! His powers, they've been.. destroyed!"

"Thats.. thats incredible! Was it Lily? she was an unspeakable, yes?"

"No, it was their one-year-old son, Harry. You-Know-Who had killed the Potters, but when he shot the curse at Harry, it just rebounded! Right onto You-Know-Who! He never saw it coming! I heard Cornelius after he spoke with Dumbledore, apparently all Harry got was a lightning bolt scar on his forehead."

Cedric, having heard enough, crept back to bed. Not entirely understanding the implications of the conversation, he was happy with the relaxed tone his father had used. Cedric had never heard his father sounding so relieved. 'Maybe I'll see more of him now,' Cedric hoped. Cedric fell asleep, all thoughts of the ghost story erased by thoughts of his happy parents.

Now, ten years and a much more relaxed father later, Cedric still thought of that night. As a twelve year old, he realized what a drastic changing point that had been. And he idolized Harry Potter even more for it.

The summer before Cedric's third year had been mostly uneventful. He'd written to his friends, and had made his first solo floo trip to his grandparents house. But other than that, he had had to keep himself entertained in his home.

Needless to say, by the first week of July, he was already bored.

"Cedric, you've hardly been out of school for two weeks, how can you be bored?" He mother would demand.

But after the excitement and mystery that was Hogwarts, how could Cedric not be bored?

A release came early in July when Cedric's cousins came to visit. Cedric felt ambiguous towards his cousins, they were cute, but also 8 years younger than him, and thus not too exciting. This visit however, his parents decided that to get out of the house, they would all be visiting a muggle zoo.

The young boy in Cedric wanted to express his masculinity by declaring that zoo's were childish. But if Cedric were honest with himself, he was curious to see a muggle zoo, having never been to one.

So they all piled into a ministry car and made the trek to the city zoo, where Cedric gave up his masculinity to his excitement. This was so wicked! All the animals and the ice-cream. Cedric immediately grabbed his laughing father's hand and pulled him towards the monkey exhibit.

As Cedric walked past a food plaza, he noticed a forlorn boy sitting by himself against the wall of a hut. Cedric recognized this boy from earlier, he had seen him trailing behind some boys who looked very much like bullies, and two adults who paid the scrawny, forlorn boy, no mind.

Cedric decided there that he wanted to cheer up this small boy.

"Hey, I'm Cedric!"

The small boy gave a small start and looked at Cedric with a mix of terror and confusion. "H..hi." He said in a small voice.

"Why are you sitting by yourself?"

"My aunt and uncle took Dudley, my cousin, and his friend in for a second lunch."

"Why aren't you in with them?"

"I, ah, I wasn't hungry." The boys stomach took this opportunity to protest that statement with a large rumble. The boy had the decency to look ashamed.

"Well," Cedric offered, "why don't you come with me, I'll buy you an ice cream. My dad gave me some mug.. some money just for today."

"I can't." The small boy, if possible, seemed even more despondent. "My uncle told me too stay right here or I'd be locked in..ah, I mean.. um.. he said to stay right here." The boy covered quickly, earning himself a funny look from Cedric.

Still, Cedric wasn't to be stopped; he didn't want to get this nice, if shy, boy in trouble, but he also wanted a new friend. "Wait right here." Cedric ordered, and ran across the street.

A minute later Cedric came back with the most decadent ice lolly sold in the zoo. The young boy eyed it greedily. But didn't reach out.

"Go on," Cedric urged, " I bought it for you!"

"Are.. are you s..sure?" The boy said, timidly reaching out his hand.

"Of course," Cedric replied with a smile. The smile did the trick. The small boy took the ice lolly, and after looking at it reverently for a few seconds, took a few test licks, and devoured the entire ice-cream.

"Wow," said Cedric, amazed. "You really were hungry! Say, I don't think I got your name?"

"Oh sorry," the young boy smiled, the first smile Cedric had been able to coax out of him, "My name's Ha-"

But the boy was interrupted by a load yell of "BOY!" coming from a large, red faced man.

The small boy gave a terrified squeak, and without a second look at Cedric, dashed off to be yelled at by the large man.

As Cedric heard the yells of, "How dare you! Taking advantage of that young man! You'll get a week in your cupboard! What have we taught you about strangers? You ungrateful whelp!" He wondered why those people were so mean to the small boy. The boy was polite, friendly, and shy. Cedric shrugged his shoulders and stood up to walk back to his parents. There wasn't much he could do now. He only hoped that when the boy was 'locked in his cupboard' he wasn't upset about the ice cream. Cedric was only trying to make him smile.


	2. Harry At Hogwarts

**Title:** A Lifetime of Devotion

**Author:** Megan (Frozenlife)

**Pairings: **Harry/Cedric (Eventually)

**Chapter:** 2? This is going to be long.

**Warnings:** stalking

**Rating: **G or PG this chapter

**Disclaimer: **I own Harry Potter as much as I own Microsoft. (Hint: I use a mac, with Mac OS X)

**Summary: **Cedric has always idolized Harry Potter, but is that enough to gain the 'Boy-Who-Lived' attention?

**A/N: **This is isn't beta'd or brit picked. This is my first fic so I don't know the whole Beta-ing process. But I suppose it anyone wants to help out? I would be thrilled! Oh and Rhyss is pronounced Reese (its a Welsh spelling).

The rest of Cedric's summer slid by, filled with trips with his family to Diagon Alley and relative's houses. Cedric went to visit his Hufflepuff friends, Rhyss and Henry. Rhyss and Henry were two of Cedric's roommates, and the only two boys who studied as much as Cedric.

i As a first year, Cedric had been afraid that he would have no friends, he spent so much time on school work. But Christmas break of his first year he, Rhyss and Henry were the only Hufflepuff's staying in the castle. At first, they sat all on opposite sides of the common room, as these two boys were as adamant about studying as Cedric. Christmas day, however, would soon become Cedric's favorite day in the castle. The morning of December 25, Cedric's presents were not at the foot of his bed, but under a huge tree in the common room. He noticed that Rhyss and Henry were already down in the common room, swapping presents. When Cedric sat down cautiously, the two boys smiled at him, and introduced themselves properly; by pelting him with his Christmas candies. Soon the boys were engaged in an all out candy and pillow war, the presents lay forgotten under the tree. An amazing feat in of itself, how many eleven year old boys forget about presents on Christmas? The boys eventually tired and sat again by the tree, all tension gone. As they sat and swapped presents a new friendship formed, as friendships will form over presents. All presents opened, the boys traded candies, Cedric didn't like Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, whereas Henry didn't like Chocolate Frogs. Rhyss didn't like cockroach clusters, but neither did Cedric or Rhyss, so the boys left those on a table for the rest of Hufflepuff House to enjoy. /i 

If it weren't for the house elves, those clusters would probably still be there.

But from that Christmas on, the three boys were inseparable. They studied together and realized that maybe studying during every free moment wasn't necessary. They helped each other open up to the rest of the house, overcome their shyness and nervousness around other students, and through it all, they stayed the best of friends.

So it was that every summer the three boys would get together at a different house. Cedric hadn't had his turn, but this summer they had all gone to Rhyss's house in Worthing. Rhyss showed them his Quidditch pitch and they played for hours. Cedric thought Quidditch was the single greatest Wizarding tradition, and he had always wanted to be on the house team, but he didn't have a broom, or the courage. After playing with his friends, however, he knew that if he could muster up the courage, he would love to play seeker for Hufflepuff, as their current seeker was a seventh year.

The summer came to a close shortly after Cedric's visit to Rhyss's house, and in the flurry of excitement about his third year all thoughts about the scrawny boy at the zoo left his head.

Cedric kissed his mother and hugged his father goodbye on the platform of nine and three quarters and ran with his friends to find an empty carriage. He saw the Weasley twins, two Gryffindors in his year, looking at some box, so he went over to discover it was a giant tarantula. So enthralled was Cedric with this arachnid, he failed to notice the small, scrawny boy Fred and George helped onto the train. He also missed their cries to their mother of "Harry Potter! Mum!"

About halfway through the trip, Cedric, Rhyss, and Henry were playing exploding snap and eating sweets from the trolly when they heard the first whispers,

"Harry Potter?"

"Yes, he's sitting near the end of the train with the newest Weasley."

"How do you know?"

"I talked to Fred and George, they've already met him."

"Wow, I hope he's in my house."

The excitement was tangible, everyone on the train wanted desperately to go meet Harry Potter, but they were all too nervous to actually go and peer at him. Cedric wished, perhaps more than anyone, to go introduce himself to the boy, but he was much to nervous. The thought of finally meeting his hero, his inspiration, after all these years, froze Cedric. Too nervous to walk down to the boy, he forced himself to wait until the sorting ceremony to get his first glance of his boy hero.

The train ride ended, and as Cedric climbed into the horseless carriage he could feel the tension mounting in him. Harry Potter! He was finally going to see Harry Potter!

Getting out of the carriage, and entering the great hall, the conversation was loud, and had only one subject: Harry Potter. What would he look like? The only information sent out about this mysterious boy hero was his jagged scar.

After an agonizing amount of time, the first years filed in, looking apprehensive and small. Cedric found himself shutting his eyes and resting his head in his arms. Now that the time had come, he was too nervous to even look for his boy hero. Internally, Cedric was waging a war against his brain. 'Look up, Cedric, you've waited almost your whole life for this!' and 'no, no I'll be patient... I.. I can't just.. just look for him! I mean, I don't really even know what he looks like.'

And so the war raged on, so long and loud in his head he almost missed Professor McGonagall's call of "Harry Potter."

But he didn't, and when he heard the name his head shot up like a bullet. Only to have his eyes widen in shock and his jaw hit the floor. Rhyss reached over with two fingers and closed his mouth with a, "I know, scrawny little kid, isn't he? Not the hero type."

But that wasn't Cedric's problem. There, sitting on the stool with the sorting hat pulled over his eyes, sat the last boy Cedric ever expected to see in Hogwarts, let alone as Harry Potter.

Harry Potter was none other than the small, timid, scrawny boy Cedric had met at the zoo.

Cedric's first thoughts were those of denial, there was no way it was the same boy. Harry Potter is brave and proud and.. and.. and hadn't been seen in the wizarding world for ten years. Suddenly the pieces fell into place. Cedric's father had mentioned that Harry had been sent to live with his only living relatives. Could they have been i muggles /i ? Harry Potter, raised as a muggle?

Cedric was brought from his thoughts when he heard the hat yell "Gryffindor!" and Cedric's heart sank. As much as this new Harry Potter was not the hero Cedric had imagined, he was still Harry Potter, it made sense that he belonged in the house for the brave. But Cedric had desperately wanted Harry in Hufflepuff. Cedric wanted to be friends with this boy. He wanted to be friends with Harry Potter. Cedric watched enviously as Percy Weasley shook Harry's hand, and the twins chanted "We Got Potter!" and resolved that, even if it killed him, Cedric was going to meet Harry Potter. Cedric was going to be noticed by Harry Potter. The first item of business was to become the new Hufflepuff house seeker. Surely Harry would notice him then. Cedric even dared to imagine himself catching the snitch, and seeing Harry cheering for him. Cedric's heart welled. Yes, he had to join Quidditch.

Cedric spent the rest of the feast and that night fantasizing about catching the snitch, and seeing adoration in his hero's eyes.

As he left the breakfast the next morning, reading his schedule, he noticed people pointing and looked up. They were all pointing at Harry Potter. Cedric immediately blushed. All of a sudden, he wasn't so keen on having Harry notice him. What if he recognized him? That would be so i embarrassing! /i Cedric would never be able to look Harry in the eye if Harry thought Cedric saw him as a charity case. Oh why did he have to be so nice to that boy at the zoo? Harry probably sees Cedric as a patronizing older boy. Not a friend. Still, as Cedric saw Harry walking away, he decided that maybe he could be late for divination. So he followed Harry, determined to learn at least part of the younger boys schedule.

But has he followed Harry, he noticed that Harry and his red haired friend were mostly going in circles. Had they noticed Cedric following them? Oh Merlin! They must think he was such a creep. Cedric was about to slide through a hidden passageway away from Harry, when he heard a small cough, and an "umm, excuse me?" Cedric looked up, and locked eyes with the most brilliant green he had ever seen. Merlin! Were those Harry's eyes? Those i were /i a hero's eyes.

"Ye.. ah..Yes?" Cedric mentally slapped himself for his voice crack. It was one simple word!

"Umm.. we're trying to find the transfiguration room.. and umm. we've been looking for awhile and.. um.. the thing is, we're.. ah.. lost."

Harry finished with a blush.

"Oh no problem, its right this way, I'll show you."

"Oh, um, thanks, ah.." Here Harry looked up and a mix of shock and embarrassment crossed his young features, "Cedric?"

"What?" Cedric said in a higher than normal pitch, "um, I mean, yes, Hello Harry, I'm Cedric."

"Oh well.. sorry about this summer and everything.. thanks though.. for.. y'know.. everything."

"It was nothing.. really. Well here's McGonagall's room."

"Right."

There was an awkward pause. The two boys trying desperately not to look at each other. Until, with a baffled look at them both, the red haired boy, Ron, pulled Harry into the classroom.

'Merlin that was awkward! He'll probably run away from me from now on. Oh I made such a fool of myself. He probably thinks I'm the strangest boy in the whole school. He probably knows I was following him!' These thoughts and more rushed through Cedric's head as he ran all the way to divination.

From that day onward, Cedric tried desperately not to follow Harry around. Sometimes he caught himself entering a classroom that he knew Harry would be in. Sometimes he would run eagerly to potions, knowing that Harry would have just left potions. Really, it was ridiculous. Cedric would try to tell himself this, but he couldn't help it. Every-time he saw Harry, he found courage, springing from a desperation to please Harry.

Two days before Hufflepuffs were scheduled to have Quidditch try outs, a slim package came with the morning mail and landed right in front of Harry. Cedric recognized that package, he had received a similar one when he told his parents he was planning to try out for the house quidditch team.

But why was Harry getting a broomstick? First years don't play on their house teams. Its against the rules.

Cedric didn't have to wait long to find out. He saw Harry and Ron jump up from the breakfast table and without a word to his friends, got up after the two first years. As he approached a corner, he heard the sneering voice of that Slytherin first year, Malfoy, and the cheerful tones of Professor Flitwick, expressing his congratulations on Harry making seeker for the Gryffindor team.

Cedric leaned against the wall in shock. Harry? Seeker? Thats not fair! He'll have to live up to Harry!

Cedric saw his romantic dreams crashing around him. But still, once Cedric put his mind to something, he didn't back down. And his father had bought him a Cleansweep 7 for the try outs.

So Cedric went to the try outs, and made reserve seeker.

The first match of the season was Gryffindor verse Slytherin, and Cedric was eager to see Harry Potter play quidditch. The game, however, was less about Harry's quidditch skills, and more about his endurance skills. The broom went berserk and Cedric watched, terrified, as Harry desperately clung to his broom, hundreds of feet above the pitch. The game ended with Harry coughing up the snitch. Cedric was disappointed: relieved that Harry hadn't died, but disappointed that he didn't know what Harry's playing skills were.

The next time Cedric saw Harry play quidditch was at the Gryffindor verse Hufflepuff match. To call it a match wasn't really fair. It had to have been the shortest match in Hogwarts history. Cedric was amazed with Harry. What a seeker. What eyes. To spot and catch the snitch that quickly. His focus was outstanding. Cedric found an even firmer resolve building in him. Next year he would be Harry's match. Next year he would put up a fight. Next year he would prove himself to Harry.

Cedric didn't talk to Harry again that year. He was too nervous. The golden trio, as the school had taken to calling Harry and his two friends, were as inseparable as Cedric and his two friends. But Rhyss and Henry weren't his best friends for nothing. They had realized that Cedric's admiration of Harry was borderline obsession. They were worried for their shy friend, and realized that they needed to find ways to distract Cedric from Harry.

So Rhyss and Henry spent all their free time trying to engage Cedric. They'd take him out to the pitch to play quidditch on weekends. They'd tease him about girls. In fact, they'd mostly tease him about girls, as girls were starting to notice Cedric. Wherever Cedric walked, giggling girls could be found. This didn't bother Rhyss and Henry, they found walking with Cedric had its own advantages, the girls would notice them as well. The three boys would have silly competitions, counting how many girls giggled at them in a day. Whoever got the most giggles was the winner. You got extra points if there were giggles from all four houses. Of course, Cedric usually won. Cedric was flattered, but he couldn't really be bothered with the girls. He was only 14 after all. Fourteen year olds shouldn't be worried about girls, they should be worrying about their marks. However, Cedric needn't have worried about his marks; with Harry in school, his scholarly resolve had doubled. Cedric worked so hard that most of his assignments became downright easy, as he was already familiar with the material.

But soon enough their third year was coming to a close. And right after exams, as they were preparing for a last few weeks of relaxing by the lake, something happened that shattered Rhyss and Henry's hopes of Cedric forgetting about his idol, Harry Potter.

Harry rescued something called the sorcerers stone.

Cedric was beside himself. Rumors flew around the school faster than Harry's Nimbus 2000.

"Did you hear? Harry fought Quirrel and died!"

"No No, I heard Voldemort killed him!"

"Harry didn't die, he defeated them."

"Well of course Harry didn't die, he's immortal!"

The rumors got steadily more ridiculous, and as Cedric's mental stability reached a breaking point, he finally gathered the courage, with the help of his friends, to visit the infirmary. What he saw there both relieved and sickened him. Harry was alive, but he was sickly pale. Cedric was distraught, his hero looked so weak. What did he go through down in the dungeons? Harry Potter did not get hurt. Harry Potter is not weak. The idol worshipping Cedric wanted to rejoice at this proof that Harry could defeat anything. The reasonable side of Cedric, small as it was, couldn't believe that an eleven year old boy was sleeping in the infirmary, pale as death. The poor kid. Still, the events did nothing to lessen Cedric's admiration for the boy. Cedric knew that as a mere acquaintance of Harry's, he couldn't expect to hear the story first hand but he did want to give Harry some kind of support. Cedric sent an owl to Honeydukes for a package of their chocolate and he brought it up to Harry's bedside. There he placed the chocolate on one of the mountains of candy other students had sent him. Cedric sighed, he really was just another fan of Harry Potter, no one special. The thought did nothing for Cedric's self-respect, and he left the hospital feeling as though Harry had outright rejected his friendship.

The next day, word got out that Harry was awake, but Cedric, as desperately as he wanted to, couldn't make himself visit Harry. 'At the closing feast, then I'll talk to him, make sure he's okay,' Cedric reassured himself.

But the closing feast came and passed without a single word exchanged between the two boys.

Cedric sat on the Hogwarts Express traveling home the next day and reflecting on his third year. He'd finally met his life long Hero, but he wasn't friends with him. Harry probably saw Cedric as some ridiculous fan-boy. Maybe, maybe he is a ridiculous fan-boy. Still, Cedric thought of Harry all during the train ride. He couldn't even be distracted when Henry reminded him that this summer was his turn to have his friends over. All Cedric could think of was how wonderful it would be to invite Harry over.

Next year, he thought, next year he would make sure that the Boy-Who-Lived was his friend.


	3. Inner Demons

**Disclaimer: **Don't be ridiculous. Of course I don't own Harry Potter. A girl can wish though.

Cedric didn't think he'd ever been more excited to go back to school.

He'd had a good summer. He'd seen his friends. Visited Diagon Alley the day _after_ Lockheart and Harry visited, much to his dismay. He'd read all his new school books, and practiced his Quidditch skills.

Mostly he'd practiced his Quidditch skills.

And Cedric Diggory wanted to show Hogwarts, wanted to show Harry, how great he was with a broomstick.

So it was with great trepidation that Cedric boarded the Hogwarts Express on September first. Cedric looked all over the platform for the shining, eager young face of Harry. He found Rhyss and Henry, he saw Fred and George with yet another Weasley, this time a girl, but for as long as he looked, he couldn't seem to find Harry, or Harry's Weasley. Cedric saw the bushy haired girl that Harry was friends with, but no Harry. Where was he?

Harry wasn't at the feast either. Had he been expelled during the summer? Had he dropped out of Hogwarts? Had he decided to stay living as a muggle? Different scenarios flew through Cedric's head, each more ridiculous than the last. Of course, as often happens at Hogwarts, the truth was the most ridiculous scenario of them all.

"You know Harry Potter and that Weasley kid? Yeah, Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived? Yeah, apparently they _flew a **car**_ into the Womping Willow. Isn't that wicked? Its too bad though, they'll probably be expelled, Snape's the one who found them."

Cedric's rampaging imagination came to a shuddering halt. Harry? Expelled? Crushed by the Womping Willow? Cedric spent the rest of the night in a waking daze, barely registering Dumbledore's speech and the walk down to the dormitories. Harry? Gone? Cedric felt betrayed. How could Harry do that to him? They weren't even friends yet!

Cedric's fears we're quelled the next morning when he heard the whole story. Yes those two second years had flown a car from London direct into the Womping Willow, but they got off with just a detention.

Word was, even Fred and George Weasley were jealous. Cedric knew he was jealous. Or he was, until he heard a shriek worthy of a banshee echo from the Gryffindor table.

A howler. The boys had received a howler.

An unusually loud one.

As the shouts echoed away the great hall sat in shocked silence. It was like the aftermath of a war. What just happened?

"Perhaps," Henry muttered into Cedric's ear, "now would be a good opportunity to get up and go."

"Yes, thats probably for the best." Rhyss agreed.

So the boys left the silent and awkward dining hall for their first class of their fourth year.

The year continued on as normally as years do in Hogwarts. Cedric gazed at Harry every chance he got. Cedric disliked Justin Flinch Flighty, some second year, more and more, because Justin would not stop talking about working with Harry Potter in Herbology.

Cedric had heard about the incident with Filch's cat. Who hadn't? But he didn't believe that Harry had done it. He couldn't have. He wouldn't! The Harry that Cedric knew was kind and forgiving, not vengeful and Slytherin.

Still, Cedric could hear the whispers. He made sure Rhyss and Henry didn't encourage them, but most of Hufflepuff would tell anyone who would listen that Harry was Slytherin's heir. To Cedric, the idea was preposterous, Harry deserved Hufflepuff's support, not their vicious gossip.

And so it was that on the day of the eagerly anticipated Gryffindor versus Slytherin game, Cedric could be found, decked out in Gryffindor scarlet. No one complained. The only other option was Slytherin after all.

The game was thrilling. While most of the students were laughing at Harry's aerobics on his boom, Cedric was in awe. Harry could _fly_. Harry was amazing! Harry was like a bird, he was graceful and beautiful and perfect and..

..and his arm had just snapped in half.

But he caught the snitch! Merlin's beard, that boy was unstoppable! He caught the snitch with a broken arm!

Cedric jumped and stomped and screamed with the rest of the non-Slytherin students. Harry was a Quidditch god!

After dinner Cedric sprinted up to the hospital wing, determined to give Harry the congratulations he deserved. He arrived in the hospital wing just as what looked like the entire house of Gryffindor was leaving. A few of them nodded at Cedric, but most were too busy praising Harry's flying ability to notice the fourth year Hufflepuff.

With bravery befitting a Gryffindor, Cedric steeled himself for the inevitable fight with Madam Pomfrey and strode into the hospital wing.

The fight never came. Pomfrey saw Cedric, and with a resigned sigh said, "Fine, but you are the last visitor, and only for five minutes!"

Harry looked up with a curious face, probably wondering who hadn't come to visit him yet. When he saw Cedric, he looked confused, like he wasn't quite sure who Cedric was, or what he was doing in the hospital wing.

"Hello Harry.." Oh god, Cedric panicked, _'He doesn't remember me! I'm making such a fool of myself!'_

"Its, ah, its me. Cedric. Remember? From the.. from the zoo." Cedric finished, eyes downcast.

"Oh, yes I remember you. Hello Cedric." Harry replied kindly, if a little bewildered. "Um.. ah, sorry but is there something you needed to tell me?"

"No.. I mean, not really. I just wanted to say that you did a really good job during the game today.. "

"Thanks"

"Yeah and.. well, I don't want to seem rude but, well Idon'tthinkyou'retheheir!" Cedric said in one breath.

"I'm sorry, what was that last bit?"

"I don't think you're the heir, y'know, the heir of Slytherin... I'm sorry, you probably don't need to hear that."

"No Cedric, um.. thanks! Really. Its.. nice, to know that someone doesn't hate me."

"How could they hate you? No, no Harry they don't hate you. They're just scared. They'll get over it, I'm sure. Especially after your catch today. That was something else! With your arm broken and all, I mean wow, just.. wow..completely amazing.. wow.."

Cedric broke off, red faced, and hung his head. Why did he have to rant like that? Why couldn't he just act calm and collected around Harry? He looked up slowly, expecting Harry to be mocking him, but instead what he saw made something in his stomach flutter. Harry looked pleased. More than pleased. He looked almost joyous. Smiling like a maniac, Harry opened his mouth to say,

"Alright boys you've had your five minutes. Mr. Potter you need rest! You have to re-grow thirty-three bones! Get to it!"

What? Could Madam Pomfrey possibly have worse timing? Cedric left the hospital in a huff, stopping only once to look back and grin happily at Harry, who grinned just as happily back.

Interruptions aside, that may have been the best conversation of Cedric's short life. He walked the whole way to his dormitory with a significant bounce in his step.

The bounce continued into the next morning, as Cedric left his dormitory for breakfast.

The bounce receded when Cedric heard the news. Some first year Gryffindor had been petrified during the night. The malicious were saying it was a first year that _Harry Potter_ didn't like.

The evidence against Harry was mounting, but really, Cedric just couldn't believe it to be true. Not only because of his status, but because of last night: the relief, and joy, on Harry's face wasn't faked. It just couldn't have been faked; the emotion was too real. Harry wasn't that kind of actor.

'_Maybe Harry Potter is a great actor… maybe that's how he defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.. by convincing him..'_

No, no, no. Not possible. Cedric shut down the evil voice in his head. Harry was a baby that Halloween, it wouldn't matter how great an actor he is now; he wasn't an actor then.

'_But still, he could be an actor now.'_

No, Harry wouldn't lie to him, Cedric was sure.

'_How can you be sure? Harry doesn't even know you!'_

Cedric's conviction was wearing thin, or it was, until he walked into the Great Hall and saw Harry. Harry looked so forlorn, so lost, those were not the feelings of a murderer. Harry Potter was not the heir of Slytherin.

Still, Cedric decided to watch Harry for a few days, to see if his mask would slip. To see if there were any mask at all.

Cedric didn't have to wait long to test Harry's mask. In fact, Cedric didn't have to approach Harry at all. Walking to charms, he literally bumped into Harry. Harry, who had been running full out down the hallway, fell on the floor after the impact.

"Hello again, Harry." Cedric greeted as he pulled Harry up from the floor. Harry smiled slightly,

"Hey Cedric," he replied, still out of breath from his sprint down the hall.

"Where's the fire?"

Cedric could have smacked himself. Where had that come from? i 'Where's the fire? /i What a stupid thing to say. Surprisingly however, Harry laughed.

"I had to go back to my dorm to get my essay for Snape, and I'm going to be late for potions." Harry suddenly looked worried and frantic.

"Well, I won't hold you up then, see you Harry."

"Yeah, see you later Cedric.."

And he was off, sprinting down the hall just as recklessly as before.

'No mask dropping there. Haha' Cedric gloated to his brain.

'_What do you expect him to do, yell 'I'm the heir!'? Are you mad? And why are you gloating to your own conscience?'_

Cedric chose to ignore that last statement, fearing for his sanity, and entered the charms room, no closer to a decision on Harry's innocence.

Cedric didn't actually see Harry later, or he did, but they didn't have another conversation.

Cedric had heard the rumor's that Harry's next victim was Justin. Well, rumor was a bit much, he'd heard Ernie yelling it to the whole common room. Poor Justin. The idea was ridiculous, but Ernie had Justin hiding out in his dorm whenever he wasn't in class.

Still one morning at breakfast, something very suspect happened. Maybe that rumor wasn't so 'ridiculous' after all. Cedric was approached by Harry as he was leaving the Hall.

"Hey, Cedric, wait.."

"Yeah?"

"Have you seen Justin? He's a second year in your house."

_Yes of course I've seen him, he's in the common room, hiding from YOU!_

"No, um, I don't think he came down to breakfast."

"Oh, alright.."

"Why?"

"No reason really, I just want to tell him something."

_Tell him, or attack him?_

"Right, well bye Harry."

"Bye."

Harry walked away, looking as lost as usual. This conversation however, Harry hadn't smiled, not once. Maybe that was why Cedric changed his mind. Maybe that was why when Cedric rushed out of the Transfiguration room, his hair still looking like it belonged on a badger, he didn't tell Ernie to be quiet. Maybe that was why, when he saw Justin frozen on the floor, he looked at Harry with the same accusatory stare as everyone else in the hallway.

Whatever the reason, Cedric had made up his mind. Harry was the heir of Slytherin, and Cedric was furious.

How DARE he? How dare Harry turn his back on Cedric, on his parents, on the light! Killing anyone who isn't a pureblood! Harry belonged in Slytherin!

Cedric avoided Harry after that. He ate meals at strange times, took the long way to charms, did everything possible to avoid seeing Harry Potter. Cedric couldn't bare the sight of his former hero. 'Ohh,' Cedric raged, 'HOW DARE HE!'

While this evasive tactic worked only in keeping the two separate, Cedric's anger didn't abate at all. Even on the day of the Hufflepuff verse Gryffindor game, Cedric was furious.

Still, he hadn't seen Harry in so long that his anger was just beginning to lessen, when something happened to bring it surging back into his mind.

"Hey, Cedric, wait!"

Oh, it was HIM, probably coming to gloat about Justin. Maybe taunt him with hints about who was next. Or exhibit his wonderous acting skills, the Slytherin snake.

"Harry." Cedric greeted, coldly.

Harry seemed taken aback by the anger. "Cedric, what's wrong?"

'_Oh, that boy and his acting. He wants to know whats wrong? Well then, he can know whats wrong!'_

"You want to know what's wrong Harry? Let's start with Justin, shall we? Justin was just being honest with you, telling you about Eton. He was thrilled to work with you in Herbology, used to talk about it non-stop in the common room. But he doesn't any more. And why is that Harry? Hmm? Maybe its because _you_ attacked him! You with your sad, lost, innocent face. Yeah. I see through you and your feeble acting skills. Why did you come over here Harry? Was it to gloat? To BRAG?"

Cedric took a deep breath, preparing to continue his rant, when he was interrupted by a small voice.

"Oh, I see. Well, Cedric, I guess I'm sorry you feel that way."

And just like that, Harry walked away. With that stupid, pitiful look on his face, hiding the smug bastard lurking within. He walked away without even apologizing for attacking Justin. Who does he think he is?

Cedric was distracted by his teammates after that. And his thoughts turned to the upcoming match.

This match was going to be brilliant. This match was going to be wonderful. This match was... cancelled?

He couldn't believe it. It was cancelled? Why? He had to beat Harry! Had Harry attacked someone on his way down to the match? He was fast!

Cedric returned to the common room, and sat down on one of the chairs to listen to Professor Sprout. She probably came to tell them that someone from Ravenclaw was gone now, and that Harry was expelled.

"Students, as you have probably realized, there was been another attack. A double attack. One Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater..."

…'_Yeah, knew it, Harry was making sure every house got one…'_

"… And" Sprout said the next name extremely slowly, as if she couldn't really believe it, "Hermione Granger.."

Oh no.

Oh gods.

What had he done? Cedric almost died from the shame. How could he have believed it was Harry? Of course it wasn't Harry! Harry would never, ever, have attacked Hermione. Everyone knew about the Goldren Trio. They were inseparable.

Everyone else in the common room seemed to be having similar thoughts.

What had they done?

Cedric knew he had to apologize as soon as possible. Harry had to forgive him! They had been so close to becoming friends.

_What had he done?_

Cedric waited nervously for the next time they would be allowed into the Great Hall. Other than during meals, Cedric would never have a chance to see Harry, what with all the new precautions.

Cedric nearly pounced on Harry the moment he walked in.

"Harry!" Harry merely looked at him, and kept walking. Not to be hindered, Cedric called again, "Harry please!"

"What Cedric?" Two words. Two words that really shouldn't have that much bite in them.

"I'm.. I'm sorry." Cedric faltered. He really couldn't apologize for what he had done. Harry had trusted him as a believer, and Cedric had turned his back.

"You know Cedric, I'm not sure I believe you."

And Harry was gone. Just like that. Cedric knew it wouldn't be easy. But he didn't think it would be this hard.

He tried during the next few meals to gain Harry's attention. Sometimes Harry would glance at him with a sad look on his face. Mostly he ignored him.

Cedric did notice one thing, Harry was always with Ron.

Ron was a real friend. Ron had stood by Harry. Ron hadn't caved in to some rumors, and coincidences, Ron had been a real friend to Harry.

Cedric found himself jealous of Ron. Jealous of his loyalty. Maybe Ron should be in Hufflepuff.

But no, Ron went beyond loyal, Ron was brave to stay near Harry through it all.

'_Hermione was brave as well, and look where It got her.'_

'Yeah, well, I was a coward, and look where it got me.'

Cedric didn't give up though. He kept approaching Harry. He approached Harry up until they got the notice that Ginny Weasley had been taken into the Chamber.

And then, Cedric prayed. Because he knew, he knew that Harry would go after her. That was who Harry was.

And he was right of course. Harry did go after her. And he saved her, saved the school from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, once again. Harry wasn't the heir at all. Harry was the one who saved them all.

During the feast that night, Cedric didn't see Harry frown once. He didn't frown when Hermione ran in, yelling, 'You solved it!' He didn't frown when Justin went over to apologize endlessly, he didn't frown when Hagrid, fresh from Azkaban, threw him into the trifle, he didn't frown when he won two hundred points for Gryffindor, he didn't frown once, all night.

He didn't frown until he met Cedric's eyes.

Harry frowned then.

Harry's eyes frowned almost more than his mouth. Their vibrant green lost its vibrancy. It was as if his eyes were saying, 'Why?'

And Cedric knew that it would take more than a feeble 'sorry' to gain back Harry Potter's friendship.


End file.
